Deciding Where to Publish Your Scientific Article

You and your colleagues have spent months, maybe even years, conducting experiments to either prove or disprove your hypothesis. You spend weeks writing up the results into a publication with your Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion. Then you spend more time self-editing, re-writing, having your collaborators read and edit. You may have even employed a professional academic editor. Finally ready to submit your manuscript for publication.

Throughout this process, it is important that you take time to consider where it is best to publish this research manuscript.

Most research results are published in academic journals. An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical that presents articles relating to a particular academic discipline or methodology. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and scrutiny of new research and the critique of existing research. To maximize your chances of impact, it is important to pick the right one.

Here are five things to consider when deciding where to publish your manuscript:

1) Do you want to target specific readers?

Thousands of journals have monthly or quarterly publication schedules. Some are for specific disciplines and others are for general, but highly noteworthy, science. Learn what journals your preferred audience looks to for important publications. Do the people that you want to reach tend to reference certain journals? You will want to publish in journals that will engage those in your field of science because this may increase your chances at gaining new funding, setting up collaborations, or finding that new career position.

2) Will the impact factor of the journal have an effect on your career?

Just for review, the impact factor of an academic journal is a measure reflecting the average number of citations to recent articles published in the journal. This number helps readers determine the relative importance of a journal within its field. Journals with higher impact factor numbers are deemed to be more important than those with lower ones.

In some academic and professional circles, the more publications you have with a high impact factor, the better your chance of promotion.

3) Journal standards and efficiency with respect to the quality and timeliness of publications

The quality of the journal content is critical. When we speak about quality content, we mean both visual and language aspects. Items to consider when reviewing the visual quality include text format and sharpness of images. Language quality includes ease of reading and correct grammar. If you read articles in the journal and find that the grammar is subpar, consider selecting an alternate journal.

Good science and writing takes time and each scientist wants to be the first to publish new findings and ideas. One of the keys to success is publication of your article as soon as your work is completed. You want to publish in a journal that people look to for current scientific topics.

To have timely publication of your data, make sure the journal is organized in overseeing the article review process. Efficient journals can have your article reviewed in three months or less, whereas inefficient journals may require you to be relentless in your efforts acquiring deals with them. It is important that the journal you select can publish the article as quickly as possible after acceptance of your article.

4) Cost of publishing

Many journals do require a per-page charge and even have more fees for color images (graphs, photos, etc.). Part of your decision as to where you will publish your research may depend on cost related issues. Can you afford to publish in a particular journal of interest? Unfortunately, this is the question you must ask if you are publishing in journals that charge for publication.

5) Financial stability and leadership of the journal

At first thought, the financial stability and leadership of the journal do not seem to be of much importance. However, journal publication, like most other areas of activity, is a competitive business. If the journal is not financially stable, it may go out of business, lose coverage (both online and in libraries), and possibly become inaccessible thereby making your article difficult to access.

The leadership of the journal includes the editors and management. If the editors are not devoted to turning out a quality product then people may lose interest in reading articles in that journal. If the management does not ensure timely editorial reviews of manuscripts and rapid publication of those accepted, readership declines and the number of people who may read your work could drop precipitously.